Thiruvananthapuram/Kannur: In a massive political development, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday morning launched simultaneous raids at the residences of former Kerala Chief Minister and current Leader of the Opposition, Pinarayi Vijayan, and his son-in-law and former minister, Mohamed Riyas.
The crackdowns are being conducted in connection with a money laundering probe linked to financial transactions between Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL) and Exalogic Solutions, an IT company owned by Vijayan’s daughter, T. Veena.
The central agency is executing searches across approximately 12 locations in Kerala and Karnataka, focusing on key figures linked to the case:
An ED team is conducting searches at the rented house where Pinarayi Vijayan is currently staying in the state capital. Sources indicate that Vijayan, along with his daughter Veena Vijayan and other family members, are present at the location during the raid.
Another ED team arrived at Vijayan’s residence in Pinarayi, Kannur. Since the house was found locked, officials are currently waiting outside the premises.
In Kozhikode, searches are actively underway at the Kottooli residence of former minister Mohamed Riyas.
Parallel raids are being carried out at the Exalogic office in Bengaluru, the CMRL corporate headquarters in Aluva, and the residence of CMRL Managing Director Sasidharan Kartha, alongside several high-ranking company officials.
The dynamic morning raids come less than 24 hours after the Kerala High Court dismissed a writ petition filed by CMRL. The company had sought a stay on the ED’s ongoing investigation and summonses under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). By dismissing the challenge as premature, the High Court effectively greenlit the central agency’s multi-city crackdown.
The ED’s investigation focuses on illicit financial payouts totaling ₹1.72 crore made by CMRL to T. Veena’s firm, Exalogic Solutions, between 2017 and 2020. Investigative bodies, including the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), allege that these substantial sums were transferred illegally as a form of bribery without any actual IT or consultancy services being rendered by the firm. The ED is aggressively pursuing tracks of bribery, tax evasion, and structured money laundering.
